It is, of course, generally known to use the internet for buying and selling goods and/or services. Specifically, since the time of interconnected computers, means developed quickly to facilitate commerce. As the Internet has grown and developed, a robust marketplace has appeared where buyers can find and purchase most anything that is available by sellers. Moreover, jurisdictional boundaries have diminished and, in some cases, have disappeared as purchasers have taken advantage of the Internet for purchasing goods and/or services in other states, countries and continents.
Because the Internet is so prevalent to consumers, billions of dollars have exchanged hands through buying and selling of goods via the Internet. For example, a well-known online marketplace is eBay®, an online auction site where users bid on items placed for sale by potential purchasers. Although the Internet can be useful for buying and selling items, typically individuals are not local to each other, and much time and money may be wasted having to ship items.
The Internet can also be used for obtaining information about particular sellers. For instance, a purchaser may be able to find local sellers of goods and/or services using the Internet to search for particular businesses, goods, services, or other like information. Popular search engines, such as Google™, Bing™ or other like search providers, may be utilized by a consumer for searching information relating to local sellers of goods and/or services. In general, a buyer, to be listed on an online search engine, must submit an application including very rudimentary information about the business, such as location, hours of operation, and a brief description of items and/or services sold or otherwise provided by the business. Typically, the search engines merely provide a link or links to particular businesses that match the search criteria provided by the searcher. In some limited cases, the rudimentary information may be provided to the searcher relating to the location, hours of operation, and the brief description of items and/or services sold or otherwise provided by the business. Also, search engines may be utilized to show, on a graphical map, location information, such as with a flag or other indicator; but again, the location information may not be reliable if the location of the store has changed and the location information has yet to be updated by the search engines.
The difficulty with utilizing online search engines to promote a business, product or service is that the search engines typically require forms to be filled relating to information, including whether the business must update the information relating to the business. The forms must then be received by the search engine and the information entered to effect a change on the search engine's search results. For example, if a business changes location, the business must submit the information in a form to the search engine, and the updated information may then be displayed, but typically it takes much time to effectuate the change and have the updated information be presentable to consumers.
Another popular online website useful for the buying and/or selling of goods and/or services is Craig's List, which allows buyers to post specific information about goods being sold, with, typically, information being provided relating to location, description of the goods and/or services, price, contact information and the like. Craig's List is useful for conducting searches relating to particular goods and/or services, especially by location. However, once a good and/or service is posted on Craig's List, the information is generally fixed and difficult to change. Moreover, information relating to a business is more difficult to impart to a purchaser, as goods are more often sold individually as opposed to under the umbrella of an apparent store.
In addition, the Internet has also grown to facilitate social networking properties. Websites such as Facebook™ and MySpace™ allow for the instant or nearly instantaneous connection of individuals in a social setting. For example, Facebook™ allows a user to sign in and provide information about him or herself, creating a Facebook™ page to post information. In many cases, the information may be updatable quickly by a user. For example, a user may have a page with information contained thereon, and the user may quickly update the information, or add information to the page using Facebook's editing features. Moreover, users may upload digital photographs, information, links, videos, sounds, and other like packets of information to their pages for instant access by those whom they have “friended” on the site. Facebook™ also provides the ability for users to search for one another, connecting to each other so that the users may instantly or nearly instantly inform others of particular information.
Businesses selling products and/or service providers may also use Facebook™ to advertise their goods and/or services. Thus, a business or service provider may create a page and may update information relating to particular goods and/or services. However, while Facebook™ is useful for finding a business or service provider if the name is known, it is less useful if one wishes to search for particular goods and/or services, or by location. Facebook™ merely aids purchasers in finding about businesses or service providers and staying connected to the businesses or service providers by receiving updates from the businesses or service providers. Also, in many cases, purchasers do not wish to find general information about sellers, but may be more interested in how they may be able to find the brick-and-mortar stores for in-person shopping. This may be especially true if a purchaser does not wish to waste time and money having goods shipped.
Moreover, it may be difficult to obtain information about particular businesses or service providers and the goods and/or services sold by the particular businesses in a mobile setting. In many cases, individuals may be traveling and may wish to find particular businesses or service providers that sell particular goods and/or services, but in a very specific location. Moreover, the purchaser may wish to know additional information relating to the business or service provider than is typically provided by a search engine, such as specific inventory of goods and the like, or other like information that is typically difficult to update by a business or service provider because it may change rapidly.
A purchaser may also desire to stay connected to a particular business or service provider, such as in a social networking manner. Thus, a purchaser may wish to obtain specific updates relating to the business or service provider on an immediate basis. Moreover, businesses or service providers may wish to have a venue to provide instantaneous or nearly instantaneous updates to its consumer base, such as information relating to inventory of goods or other like information that may drive potential purchasers to the businesses.
Moreover, it is typically difficult for an online purchaser of goods and/or services to track products and/or services that may be offered by businesses or service providers. For example, when a purchaser typically utilizes the internet, such as a search engine, to search for products, in many cases it is difficult to compare goods and/or services together, or to save information about a product or service across businesses or service providers.
A need, therefore, exists for improved systems and methods for matching buyers of goods and/or services with sellers and/or service providers. Specifically, a need exists for improved systems and methods that allow buyers of goods and/or services to better search for businesses having goods and/or services desired by the buyers.
Moreover, a need exists for improved systems and methods for allowing buyers to search for particular goods and/or services that may be sold by a plurality of localized businesses so that the buyer may facilitate the purchase of the goods and/or services easily and expeditiously.
In addition, a need exists for improved systems and methods for allowing businesses to better advertise their goods and/or services to potential buyers. Specifically, a need exists for improved systems and methods for allowing businesses to quickly and easily update information relating to goods and/or services online so that potential buyers may instantly or nearly instantly be made aware of the updated information.
A need further exists for improved systems and methods for buyers to search for localized businesses, such as businesses in particular geographical regions that may be defined by the buyers in order to find local businesses having brick-and-mortar stores for the purchase of the goods and/or services.
A need further exists for improved systems and methods that may provide graphical location-specific information relating to buyers' searches. Still further, a need exists for improved systems and methods that provide instant information relating to a business while viewing the graphical location-specific information.
A need additionally exists for improved systems and methods for allowing purchasers to quickly be updated on changed information relating to one or more businesses. A need also exists for improved systems and methods for allowing businesses to obtain immediate feedback from buyers or potential buyers relating to information provided relating to the businesses.
Moreover, a need exists for improved systems and methods for allowing potential purchasers to obtain localized information relating to businesses and/or goods and/or services sold by businesses and relating to location-based information that may be provided by a mobile device that may be in a potential purchaser's possession.
Still further, a need exists for improved systems and methods for allowing potential purchasers of goods and/or services to save information about the goods and/or services for purposes of comparing goods and/or services across businesses or service providers, or to recall information about the goods or services at a later time.